Wheel cover



March 25, 19584 G. A. LYON 2,828,159

l WHEEL COVER Filed Feb. 19,' 1954 l Eig- 4 4 l IHF-217217.?"

2 7 leo/@65 Az 55er Z /o/v United Stats.

2,823,159VVV WHEEL COVERy George Albert Lyon, Detroit, yMich.. Application February 19,1954, serial N'. 411,310 6 claims. (ci. soi-'31) V*The presentjnvention relatesfto improvements in wheel structures'andrmoreg particularlyl concerns, Vthe ornamental and-protective.' covering ofVA the outer sides ofJ vehicle wheels.V

Ail-important object ofthe present invention'isto provide an improved Wheel structure having a' wheel cover forthe outer'sid'e thereof' afordinga generally spoke-like appearance; v

vAnother object of the invention isto provide .an irnproved vcombination hub capl and trim ring arrangement for a vehiclevvheel. Y j ,y

A'further object of the invention. is to .provide an im;

proved trim ringv adaptedtoibernaintained..under resilient` tension on a wheel by ahub cap. applied lto'the'outer side ofthe wheel. l'

Still another object of the invention' is toprovide a novel trim 'ring for the outer sideof. vehicle wheels, the. trim 'ring`having`both axiallyv and vcircui'nfer'entially resili ent characteristics.

Other objects,.featuresand advantagesv of the present invention willbe readily .apparent4 from the following detailed description of a preferred-embodiment thereof' taken Vin conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which: A p

'Figu'rerl `isan outer side elevationalview of a vehicle wheel embodying-features.ofv the invention; l

'Figure 2 isan enlarged 'fragmentary radial sectional view taken substantially on the linell-fllv ofFigure l; Figurev 3 isla fragmentary` planV view-of the trim ring of the cover.assembly Vfor Athe wheel;y an j j V Figure '4, is a fragmentary vradial sectional elevational view taken substantially yon the liney IIV'IVv of YFigure 1. 1

The present'inventionisfV especially v adapted for a'wheel embodying features:V coverreduin my Patent No. 2,445,330 issuedV July 2(4), A1948, .including an especiallyA desirable re,-V

tainingV bump arrangement for retaining a hub cap on the wheel. To this end the wheel comprises. a wheel body 5 having a central dished bolt on flange 7 by which the wheel isradapted to be attached to an axle partY of a vehicle. Thewheelbody-S is of `the'disl`c` spidertype including anwannular axially 'outwardlyextending nose bulge' 8 and' aperipheral axially-inwardly directed attachment' ange9 by`Yl which the `wheel* Vbody'is attached to a base' flange10-ofa tirerim; The tire `rim` is yof the dropfcen'terj` multi-llange y'type having' aI side ange 11jextending',axiallyv andlradiallyoutwardly trom therbasegange and merging ange 18 provided with a resilient under and inwardly turned -bead 19 of a diameter to engage in snap-on pryol relation with a series of generally radially outwardly directed retaining bumps 20 on the radially outer side of the nose bulge 18 and projecting radially beyond anV annular generally radiallyv outwardly facing shoulder 21 on the nose bulge. Each of the retaining bumps 20 has a generally radially outwardly and axially inwardly facingV sloping retaining shoulder 22 which is engaged by the retaining bead 19 of the hub cap and stretches the bead generally radially outwardly at the retaining shoulders 22 while the intermediate portions; of the bead draw generally radially inwardlyv against the shoulder 21 subs'tan` tially as-seen in Fig. 4. The oblique surface of the shoulders 22 causes the bead 19 to draw generallyaxially in wardly and thereby causes at least those portions of the bead intermediate the retaining'bumps to bottom against the wheel body adjacent to the shoulder 21 as seen in Fig. 4'. l

For disposition opposite the tire rim and the adjacent portion of the wheel body 5 radially outwardly of the. hub cap 17, a novel trim ring 23 is provided. The trim ring comprises an annulus of an outside diameter to lie opposite the shoulder 14 of the tire rim and inside the tip of the terminal flange 13, and of an inside diameter to Thereby the linger flanges 2S are adapted to be clampedy against the wheel body by the bead 19. In order to clear the portions of the bead 19 that engage the retaining bumps 20, the fingers 24 are preferably spaced circumferentially to lie at the opposite sides of the bumps 20 and thereby be engaged by the portions of the bead 19 that bottom against the wheel body.

In order to aiord a generallyy spoke-like appearance for the trim ring 23, and also to render the same resiliently exible in axial as well as circumferential direction, the trim ring is made from a flexible sheet material such as stainless steel or the like and is corrugated along radial lines to provide a spaced series of radially extending ridges 27 alternating with grooved portions 28. In a preferred form the ribs 27 are of arcuately arched form while the grooves are defined by substantially ilat areas. It will be observed that the retaining lingers 24 extend from certainof the flat groove areas 28.

Normally the trim ring 23 has the inner margin thereof. contractedito the extent that the trim ring is substantially flat or extends only slightly obliquely axially and radially inwardly, substantially as shown in dash outlinefin Fig. 2. Hence when the trim ring isapplied to the outer side of the wheel, the outer margin of the trim ring will engage against the terminal ange `and the inner margin willv be spaced substantially axially'V outwardly fromlthe wheel body. Then by applying themarginal beadi'19-ofthe'hub cap 17 to th`e`fingerterminal flanges 25 and pressing the hub cap inwardly, the inner margin of the trim ring is caused to move axially inwardly and thereby flex the trim ring 23 inwardly While the outer margin fulcrums on the tire rim shoulder 14. As an incident to the axially inward deilection of the trim ring, the corrugations are enabled to expand slightly as the inner margin of the trim ring tilts uniformly inwardly toward the wheel body. This places the trim ring uni- Vformly under resilient tension whereby it is held against the wheel in a rattle-free condition.

Since the outer ends of the ribs 27 open radially outwardly, air circulation passages are provided thereby from behind the trim ring to promote circulation of air through wheel openings 29 in the operation of the wheel 1n service.

In order to accommodate a valve stem 30, one of the groove portions 28 of the trim ring is provided with a valve stem aperture 31.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be elected without departing from' the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention,

I claim as my invention:

1. In a wheel structure including a tire rim and a wheel body with a hub cap on the wheel body, an annular trim ring of resilient sheet material engageable at its radially outer portion with the tire rim Vand having a series of generally radially extending spokedike rib corrugations opening through the inner margin of the trim ring and in a normal unassembled condition maintaining the trim ring body in a predetermined axially outward relationship of the inner margin to the radially outer portion, and a series of inwardly directed retaining fingers projecting from the inner margin of the trim ring and engageable behind the hub cap to draw the inner margin of the trim ring axially inwardlyrelative to the outer portion of the trim ring fulcrumed on the tire rim, said corrugations being liexibly contractable as an incident to resilient deflection of the inner margin of the trim ring relative to the outer portion by engagement of the retaining ngers behind the hub cap on the wheel body, the inner ends of the corrugations being disposed adjacent to the side wall of the hub cap so as to appear to emanate therefrom.

2. In a wheel structure including a tire rim and a wheel body having thereon a hub cap provided with a generally axially extending side wall portion and a turned edge portion for bottoming against the wheel body, a trim ring for disposition at the outer side of the wheel dimensioned to overlie the tire rim and the wheel body radially outwardly Yfrom the hub cap, said trim ring having rib corrugations opening through the inner edge of the trim ring and axially inwardly elongated retaining fingers provided with radially inwardly directed terminals engageable under the edge portion of the hub cap for retaining the trim ring on the wheel, the axially elongated fingers maintaining the trim ring with the inner ends of the corrugations disposed adjacent to the side wall of the hub cap so as to appear to emanate therefrom.

3. In a wheel structure including a tire rim and a wheel body with a hub cap supported on the wheel body, a trim ring for disposition at the outer side of the wheel in substantially covering relation to the tire rim and the wheel body radially outwardly from the hub cap, the trim ring having an inner edge arranged to lie adjacent to the side of the hub cap and provided with a series ot generally L-shaped retaining fingers having axially inwardly extending legs provided with radially inwardly directed terminals for engagement with the hub cap and maintaining the inner margin of the trim ring substantially spaced from the wheel body, and with the inner edge of the trim ring being disposed adjacent to the adjacent portion of the side wall of the hub cap so as to appear to emanate therefrom spaced from the body-engaging portion of the hub cap.

4. In a wheel structure including a wheel body and a multi-ange tire rim supported thereby and providing an annular outer side shoulder thereon, cover means for disposition at the outer side of the wheel including a circular portion for overlying the outer side of the tire rim and the adjacent portion of the wheel body, said circular cover portion being generally radially ribbed and axially flexible, the outer end portions of the cover ribs being engageable in fulcruming relation with said rim Shoulder, and means whereby the cover portion adjacent the inner ends of said ribs is drawn flexibly deliectably axially inwardly with the outer end portions of the ribs tensionably fulcrumed on said rim shoulder and with said means retaining the cover portion in the wheel covering fulcrumed inwardly tensionably deflected relation.

5. In a wheel structure including a Wheel body and a multi-ange tire rim supported thereby and providing an annular outer side shoulder thereon, cover means for disposition at the outer side of the wheel including a circular portion for overlying the outer side of the tire rim and the adjacent portion of the wheel body, said circular cover portion being generally radially ribbed and axially exible, the outer end portions of the cover ribs being engageable in fulcruming relation with said rim shoulder, and means whereby the cover portion adjacent the inner ends of said ribs is drawn exibly deectably axially inwardly with the outer end portions of the ribs tensionably fulcrumed on said rim shoulder and with said means retaining the cover portion in the wheel covering fulcrumed inwardly tensionably deflected relation, said means including a central cover member separably related to said circular cover portion and with the inner ends of the ribs appearing in the assembly to emanate from the central cover member.

6. In a wheel structure including a wheel body and a multi-flange tire rim supported thereby and providing an annular outer side shoulder thereon, with air circulation openings adjacent juncture of the wheel body and tire rim, cover means for disposition at the outer side of the wheel including a circular portion for overlying the outer side of the tire rim and the adjacent portion of the wheel body, said circular cover portion being generally radially ribbed and axially exible, the outer end portions of the cover ribs being engageable in fulcruming relation with said rim shoulder, and means whereby the cover portion adjacent the inner ends of said ribs is drawn exibly deectably axially inwardly with the outer end portions of the ribs tensionably fulcrumed on said rim shoulder and with said means retaining the cover portion in the wheel covering fulcrumed inwardly tensionably deflected relation, said ribs providing at the axially inner side of said cover portion air circulation passages in conjunction with the tire rim shoulder to promote air circulation through the wheel openings in the operation of the wheel in service.

Grimshaw May 26, 

